the territory to practitioners from Japan, Australia, the UK, and U.S. Hong Kong authorities justified the blacklist as being necessary to safeguard security. The government's stance attracted condemnation from segments of Hong Kong civil society and pro-democracy lawmakers. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Rev. Stephen Chan, a Catholic priest, said “the government is damaging the reputation of a group of people who have broken no laws.” Officials’ stance toward Falun Gong began to soften as the March 2002 elections for chief executive approached, as politicians were eager to show that “one Country, Two Systems” remained intact. Soon after the elections in August 2002, however, sixteen Falun Gong followers were convicted of obstruction for meditating outside the Chinese government liaison office. In 2002, the Hong Kong government proposed “Article 23,” an anti-subversion law that would have prohibited acts of sedition or subversion against the Chinese central government in Beijing. It also would have prohibited foreign political organizations or bodies from conducting political activities in the region, and to prohibit political organizations from establishing ties with foreign organizations. The proposal was controversial, and if successful likely would have resulted far greater limitations being placed on Falun Gong practitioners' ability to organise and protest in the territory. The bill was withdrawn after a July 2003 protest that drew approximately 350,000 - 700,000 Hong Kong citizens, thereby ensuring that Falun Gong practitioners would still have the right to assemble. Travel restrictions Beginning in late 2000, there have seen several instances in which Hong Kong authorities barred Falun Gong practitioners from entering the territory to participate in demonstrations, conferences, and other events. In 2003, 80 Taiwanese practitioners were blocked from entering Hong Kong, despite already having obtained visas. The Hong Kong Association of Falun Gong applied for a judicial review of the event, setting off a six-year human rights case that tested the integrity of the one country, two systems arrangement. The lawsuit continued until 2009 when the court ruled to dismiss the case. In 2004, a Canadian Falun Gong practitioner on a book tour was denied entry to the territory, and in 2008, two Falun Gong practitioners from the United States and Switzerland were separately denied entry while on professional and research trips. In 2007, hundreds of Taiwanese practitioners were prevented from entering Hong Kong or detained at the airport. In 2010, Hong Kong immigration officials denied visas to several production staff with